It was the consensus of delegates at the 2021 African Tech Alliance Forum, AfriTECH2021, that there is the need to improve the state of infrastructures required to drive the explosion in the subscription to digitalisation in this COVID 19 era. The event was held both online and on-sight at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, on Wednesday, October 13, 2021,
“A lot of speakers here have really spoken about what we need about infrastructure, skilling, the processes and polices that we need to put in place to ensure that we make this happens”, stressed Olatomiwa Williams, Country Manager of Microsoft in Nigeria, while delivering her Keynote address on the theme of this year’s forum tagged ‘Embracing Change & Digital Transformation in the New Normal’.
“COVID has actually enabled us to globally, to achieve in two years of digital transformation change within two months:, she emphasised, against the backdrop of the speed with which the human race embraced the use of technology during and after the COVID lock down.
“Based on research, businesses have seen significant improvement in productivity, efficiency and profitability for organisations that have embraced hybrid work environment”, expressed Olatomiwa, in relation to the work-from-home regimen adopted by many organisations during the COVID lockdown and after.
Earlier in his welcome address, the convener of Africa Tech Alliance Forum, who is also the Editor of Techeconomy.ng, Peter Oluka, noted the effect that COVID 19 had on the way we did things, right from the days of lock down until now.
“In the seeming blink of an eye, the pandemic changed everything: how we worked, shopped, attended to school, entertained ourselves, got medic-care, engaged with government agencies, and connected with friends and family”, Peter had stressed.
The Forum was well attended by government Agencies overseeing the tech industry, such as the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA and Galaxy Backbone.
Dr. O. Y. Asaju, Director of Spectrum Administration at NCC, represented Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, EVC/CEO of NCC, while Dr. Usman Gambo, Director, IT Infrastructre Solutions at NITDA, represented Mallam Kachifu Inuwa Abdullahi, DG/CEO of NITDA and Timi Fadeyi, Head Datacentre, Galaxy Backbone Ltd, represented Prof. Muhammed Abubakar, MD/CEO, Galaxy Backbone Ltd.
These government Agency representatives spoke on the steps their various Agencies are taking to ensure the improvement of infrastructure, regulation and training of personnel in the industry, to ensure that better services are rendered to the populace, so they can enjoy the benefits of digital economy.
The event went into a series of panel discussions, as various invited discussants expressed their views on germane issues centred around the theme of this year’s Forum, ‘Enhancing Change & Digital Transformation in the New Normal’’. Some organisations received awards for excellence in various categories within the ecosystem during the event.
The event was well attended by many other industry stakeholders, such as the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Association of Licenced Telecoms Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Nigeria Internet Registration Association of Nigeria, NiRA, Nigeria Computer Society, NCS, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON, Rack Centre, Layer3, ZOHO and a host of other players in the tech ecosystem.
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